Tangs in a tank

[aguaman]

Hello All,

I am going to be starting up a 170 gallon reef tank and therefore I am doing some planning as I've learned is extremely important. So, therefore I have a key question. I love these four species of tangs although I am unsure of whether or not they will survive together or which out of the four can be suitable together in the size, type of tank, and the order of establishment as well as maybe how long to have them all in the tank.
(This is supposing the fish I buy are healthy, net caught, the system is well established, etc.) + money is not an issue

The Tangs Arein order of favorites)

1.) Vlamingi Tang- (Naso vlamingi)
2.) Sohal Tang- (Acanthurus sohal)
3.) Chevron Tang- (Acanthurus hawaiiensis)
4.) Hippo Tang- (Precanthurus hepatus)

ANY Help as to what combinations, orders, or restrictions involved would be EXCELLENT!!!

Thanks

Aguaman
Aguaman

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Personally i'd take the vlamingi off your list completely. They get huge and you won't have a suitable home for him within a few years.

:wink:

 

[LFS42]

The Sohal amd the Hipo get large also.
I've read that the Sohal's can be more aggresive than others.

 

[Moty]

I would not put two Acanthurus in a 170g tank they will be very aggresive toward each other so I'd take only one of them.

 

[King Jason]

Sorry to hijack the thread but ChrisIsBored your tank is looking awesome! Great job on the closed loop. You will love that AmpMaster 3000.

 

[Garry thomas]

I'v just introduced another acanthurus sps....leucosternon to my reef and as expected my lineatus went ape :evil: time will tell :lol:

 

[64Ivy]

I have Sohal in a 500g and he still gets aggressive with the other tangs! In fact, I've been trying to remove my Purple Tang before the Sohal either kills him or harrasses him so badly that he develops "ick" and kills himself.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Keep in mind that bothe Stonehaven and Gary Thomas have tanks that are in the order of 500 g. I think Vlamingi Tang- (Naso vlamingi) and Sohal Tang- (Acanthurus sohal) are poor choices as reeffish. Because of this reason, I have not keep either even if I have a 450 g tank.
Minh Nguyen
[/i]

 

[damicodric]

aqua,

to each his own. i have a sohal, sailfin, hippo, lepizi and chocolate (immature mimic) in my 120 reef. never had an issue (3-5 years). do they bicker sometimes? of course they do, but then it is not uncommon for guppies to fight either.

if you listen to half of the advice on these posts, most folks would have you buying one of each species and mixing nothing. nonsense.
i even think one guy/gal on here was telling you to be careful about buying a hippo tang. jesus christ, they are one of the most docile tangs, not to mention the most beautiful. yes, they can get big. however, almost all fish have the ability to regulate their growth rates to accomodate their surroundings. trust me.

provide pristine water and tank conditions with quality and ample feedings and watch how nicely all get along. did u say you were doing a 170? wow. have a great time with your tangs. i would.

good luck to you.

 

[naesco]

Thank you for asking our opinion.

In my experience the vlamingi tang requires a tank of about 600 gallons as it grows so quickly, so large.
The sohol tang is very beautiful but will raise holy hell with any other tang you place in your tank as well as other similar looking fish.
Of the two remaining the chevron would be my choice although they get much darker.
As with all tangs do not buy them online as you cannot see the fish. Choose one that is plump, eating agressively, clear eyes and alert with no spots or tears. Otherwise pass on the fish. There will always be another.
The blue tang comes from the Phillippines and Indonesia so buy only a guaranteed net caught fish to avoid a cyanide problem.
Do the garlic extract regimen as an ich preventative.
And by the way keeping a vlamingi in a small tank does not stop them from growing large.
Good Luck with your choice.

 

[wombat1]

Our university reef tank has a 8" sailfin, 8"hippo, and 4"kole in a 120, with no aggression. They've been there at least 4 years.

HTH

 

[naesco]

Scott Michael recommends a six foot tank (135 gallons) minimum for tangs with the exception of the zebrasoma species which is 75 gallons.
Most reefers strive for optimum conditons for the critters they keep.
The university tank does not even meet the minimum standards.
You should let them know.

 

[GSchiemer]

You got good advice on the Vlamingi tang. I have a 500 gallon reef aquarium and I wouldn't consider a Vlamingi tang either. They simply get too large, too quickly and require a lot of food and swimming space. They're best left to public aquariums. Check out this article for more info:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/Fish.htm

BTW, does this make me an honary member of the tang police now?

Greg Schiemer

 

[naesco]

Welcome Welcome Welcome

 

[naesco]

Welcome Welcome Welcome

But before you join, as part of the initiation, you must chant three time
"Your tank is too small for tangs"

 

[King Jason]

Welcome Welcome Welcome

But before you join, as part of the initiation, you must chant three time
"Your tank is too small for tangs"

NO GREG! Don't go over to the darkside! Naesco isn't your father!

 

[GSchiemer]

NO GREG! Don't go over to the darkside! Naesco isn't your father!

I’ve already expanded my tang policing activities beyond “reefs.org.”

I was flipping through the latest issue of FAMA today, and in addition to being incensed by the Jack Fong article on butterflyfish (a story for another day), I came across an ad for Via Aqua acrylic aquariums. In the ad they show what appears to be a 10 gallon aquarium that’s ¾ full of rock and contains the following fish: a yellow tang, a purple tang, a flagfin angel, FIVE Green Chromis, a maroon clownfish, and two Centropyge angels. Perhaps there are more fish not visible in the picture. This kind of advertising is completely irresponsible and we should protest by not directly supporting or recommending their products.

Greg Schiemer

 

[AllenF]

Why not just dump in all the fish and skip the rock, sand, filters, and water completely! No wait, do you really even need the tank? :roll:

 

[wombat1]

Scott Michael recommends a six foot tank (135 gallons) minimum

The university tank IS 6 feet. Am I missing something? Isn't a standard 120 6 feet long? Maybe it's a 135. Like I said, they've all been there at least 4 years (and the sailfin at least 6 years) and they're fat and healthy.

BTW, is there any height minimum for tangs? Say, for example, I wanted to keep a tang in a tank 8 feet long by 2 feet wide, but only 18 inches tall. Would that matter?

 

[Anonymous]

aqua,

to each his own. i have a sohal, sailfin, hippo, lepizi and chocolate (immature mimic) in my 120 reef. never had an issue (3-5 years). do they bicker sometimes? of course they do, but then it is not uncommon for guppies to fight either.

if you listen to half of the advice on these posts, most folks would have you buying one of each species and mixing nothing. nonsense.
i even think one guy/gal on here was telling you to be careful about buying a hippo tang. jesus christ, they are one of the most docile tangs, not to mention the most beautiful. yes, they can get big. however, almost all fish have the ability to regulate their growth rates to accomodate their surroundings. trust me.
provide pristine water and tank conditions with quality and ample feedings and watch how nicely all get along. did u say you were doing a 170? wow. have a great time with your tangs. i would.

good luck to you.

given that fish are one of the few, if not the only, animal groups that never stop growing for their entire life span(only the rate of growth slows w/old age), and that the only thing that i am personally aware of that can affect fish growth rate is health of the fish, the environmental quality of it's surroundings, or a genetic fault/problem- could you please explain your assertion, or provide a backup/link to it?

this is the first time i have ever heard of a fish being able to voluntarily control it's rate of growth at will, and i'm very curious as to where you've come across this info :wink: